Derek and Spencer's Journey to Parenthood
by danielizabethx
Summary: Derek and Spencer decide to adopt a baby.
1. Maybe, Baby?

**This is my first Criminal Minds story. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Derek first notices it when JJ and Will come over with Henry. He's outside with Will talking over beers and the streaks grilling. He looks inside through the backdoor to see Spencer chasing a giggling Henry around the living room. It hits him hard then, the realization that Spencer is truly happy with Henry because it's the same smile Spencer had worn the day Derek finally got his head out of his ass and asked the younger agent out.

After JJ, Will and Henry go home, Derek pulls Spencer down the hall to their room. They curl up in bed, Derek running his fingers through Spencer's short hair. "I saw you with Henry." He murmurs.

Spencer shifts and looks up at Derek, his brow furrowed in curiosity. "What'd you mean?"

"How you acted around him," Derek pauses. "Do you want kids?"

He feels Spencer tense up, but he doesn't answer. It's a long few tense minutes before Spencer speaks again. "I don't know."

"You're good with them, I've seen you around the kids we've worked with on cases. Henry and Jack, too."

"I'm not good, I'm awkward." Spencer mumbles.

"Oh, Pretty Boy, you are so much more than awkward." Derek pulls Spencer closer and kisses his forehead.

"It's just, what if we have a child and then they don't like me?" Spencer pouts.

Derek knows it'll probably hurt Spencer's feelings, but he can't help but laugh. Just as he predicted, Spencer starts to wiggle away. "I'm sorry, baby," He apologizes. "That's an absurd thought. Of course they'll like you."

"How do you know?" Spencer asks as he burrows down in next to Derek again.

"I know, because you'll be their dad. If we adopt, that's something that will be special to them for the rest of their lives. Especially if it's an older kid, they've probably been waiting for someone to want them for a long time," Derek smiles down at Spencer. "And if that person is you, they'll love you."

"Okay," Spencer replies after a few minutes of silence. "Okay, let's do it."

Derek smiles and leans down to kiss Spencer. "Alright. G'night, Pretty Boy."

"Goodnight, Derek."

* * *

The next morning when they arrived at work, everyone asks Spencer what is making him so giddy. He brushes them all off, saying he's in a good mood just because. Of course it really has everything to do with the fact that on the drive in, Derek had brought up whether they would want to adopt or use a surrogate. Spencer hadn't even hesitated before answering with adoption. He really didn't want to bring another child into the world when there were already so many in the system who needed a family. Derek had just smiled at him.

At lunch, Spencer and Penelope were trying to get Derek to go out with them. They weren't working on a case at the moment, so they were trying to get through the mountains of files and paperwork they all had. Derek just shakes his head. "I've got some work that's due today and I need to finish it. You guys go ahead."

Spencer tries not to pout, but Penelope just pulls him out of Derek's office. When they return from lunch, Spencer heads straight for Derek. He had brought him back a sandwich from the deli down the street that he loves so much, knowing full well, Derek probably worked straight through lunch. As he walks into the office, Derek scrambles to hide things on his desk and shut a window on his computer. Spencer raises an eyebrow.

"You know, for a profiler, you sure are crappy at trying to hide things." Spencer hops up onto the edge of Derek's desk.

"I know." Derek sighs.

"Well, I brought you food." Derek lights up and starts to reach for the bag. "Oh, no you don't. You can have it in exchange for telling me what you're up to." Derek gives him his best 'are you kidding me' face. The once that Spencer is now immune to.

"Fine." Derek gives in. Spencer hands him the bag. "I've been looking into the process of adoption."

Spencer is stunned. He didn't think Derek would jump into this so fast. "Really?" He asks in a small voice.

"Yeah, baby, really," Derek chuckles. "I found the nearest agency and called and made us an appointment to meet with the woman who runs it."

"Really?" Spencer asks again.

Derek sets down his sandwich and pulls Spencer into his lap. He kisses him quickly, not wanting to get caught displaying public affection at work. "Really. We meet with her tonight after work."

"God, Derek, I don't even know what to say."

"Well, say you want to." Derek laughs.

Spencer giggles. "Of course. I'm just speechless at the moment."

Derek leans in for another kiss, just as someone clears their throat from the doorway. They both pull apart and whip their heads around to find Hotch standing there, a small smile, he's obviously trying to fight to keep down, on his face. "No PDA, you know the rules." It's obvious he's going for the stern boss tone.

Spencer shoots up out of Derek's lap and starts to run off towards the bullpen with his head down. Derek just chuckles and goes back to eating his sandwich.


	2. The Meeting

Spencer was having a hard time focusing on anything. The mountains of files on his desk would normally take him about an hour to get through. It had been over three and he wasn't even halfway through them. His mind was elsewhere, he knew that Emily could tell. She kept looking at him with concerned eyes. He sighed and pushed himself up out of his chair and hurried down the hall towards Derek's office.

He peeked around the corner of the door frame and saw Derek working hard on some file. Spencer sighed and sucked his bottom lip in between his teeth. He stood just outside the door, debating on whether or not it was a good idea to bother Derek. He jumped when the other agent's voice drifted out into the hallway.

"Spencer, are you just going to stand there or are you going to come in?"

Mentally slapping himself, Spencer tentatively stepped into the office. Once he got sight of Derek looking at him with concern and worry, he hurried over and climbed into his lap.

"Whoa, Pretty Boy, what's all this?" Derek started to rub his back in slow lazy circles.

"What if the child we pick doesn't like me? Or what if we get them home and they won't stop crying?" Spencer fisted Derek's shirt in his hand. "What if I fail horribly as a father?"

Derek kissed Spencer's forehead. "Oh, Pretty Boy," he murmured against his skin. "You're not going to fail. And we've been over this, they'll love you."

"IF you say so," Spencer said miserably. "Okay, new set of problems. Do we decorate the room ourselves or let them pick? And if we adopt an infant, how should we decorate?" He talked a mile a minute.

"Spencer," Derek interrupted. "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, alright?"

Spencer nodded. "Alright."

"Let's just get through the meeting tonight." Derek smiled and kissed Spencer quickly. "Alright, back to work with you."

Spencer giggled and ran off back to his desk, not wanting a repeat performance with Hotch again.

* * *

After his talk with Derek, Spencer was able to focus enough to finish all his files. It still took him longer than it normally would, but his finished. He counted that as a victory. At five o'clock, Derek walked into the bullpen. He grabbed Spencer around the waist and dragged him towards the doors, waving goodbye to the rest of the team. He kissed Spencer on the cheek and pushed him towards the car.

"You are eager." Spencer laughed.

"Well, yeah." Derek looked over at him with a look that clearly read 'Duh'. "We're taking the first step towards parenthood!"

Spencer ducked his head to hide his grin and climbed into Derek's SUV. The ride was quiet, the only sounds being the radio playing some Top 40 hit softly. Derek reached over and squeezed Spencer's thigh. The younger man smiled and gently turned Derek's hand over and laced their fingers together. He stared down at the linked hands while Derek drove. The stark contrast between their skin colors always made his heart beat a tiny bit faster. He loved the way he looked next to Derek.

The car rolled to a stop and Spencer looked up to see they were in front of a gray, boring looking building. He looked over at Derek to see him smiling. "Is this it?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah. Come on Pretty Boy."

They climbed out of the car and walked hand in hand into the building. There was a small lobby set up with a few uncomfortable looking chairs and fake plants. There were pictures hung up of kids with families. Probably just models, Spencer thought. Behind a big brown desk, sat a young blonde woman typing away on the computer. She looked up as they stepped closer, a big smile plastered on her face. "Can I help you, gentlemen?"

"Yes," Derek answered. "We have an appointment with a Ms. Greenway at six."

"Ah, yes! You must be Derek and Spencer." She typed a few things into the computer. "Ms. Greenway is with another family at the moment, so you can have a seat while you wait."

Derek thanked her and pulled Spencer over to a couple of chairs in the corner. They're uncomfortable, just like he predicted. Leaning his head on Derek's shoulder, Spencer absentmindedly plays with his fingers - twining them with his own or examining each knuckle. Voices filter in from down the hall, growing in volume as they get closer.

"You just let me know if you have any questions." A heavy set older lady tells a young couple. The couple nod and thank her before heading out the door. The woman looked over at Derek and Spencer with a smile. "Hello! You must be Derek and Spencer, I'm Ms. Greenway." She held out her hand.

Derek stood up, followed quickly by Spencer, and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Derek Morgan."

Spencer held out his own hand after they were done shaking. "Dr. Spencer Reid."

"Well, come on back!" She led them down the hallway to her office and shut the door behind them. "Please, sit." She gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. She stepped around her desk and sat down, pulling a file from the top of a small pile as she went. The two agents took a seat and waited patiently for Ms. Greenway to continue. "Now, as I understand it, you two work for the FBI?"

"Yes, ma'am." Derek answered.

She hummed. "And you travel a lot?"

"Yes." He answered again.

"I see." She wrote something down in the file. "And if you were to be approved as adoptive parents, how would that affect your ability to, well, parent?"

Derek leaned forward in his chair, the way he did when he was getting ready to talk for awhile or say something meaningful. "Our team is like a family. We support each other through thick and thin. Two of our team members have children, one of them is a single father, and we all help in raising them. The same would be done for us, I can assure you."

Spencer tried to keep his grin hidden. It was times like these when he was reminded of just how proud he was of Derek. He watched Ms. Greenway, looking for any signs that this could end up not going their way.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." She smiled. "Would there be anyone around to watch the child or children while you were away?"

"Yes." She looked surprised to see that it was Spencer who spoke up. "One of our teammates doesn't travel with us. Also, another teammate's husband works here in town, and he's home to take care of their son, so he'd be available."

Ms. Greenway nodded while jotting some more notes down. The rest of the interview went much the same way, she would ask basic questions about their job and living situation. About their relationship and why they wanted to become parents. Derek and Spencer would answer them, while the latter would throw in a few facts and statistics every now and then. Half an hour later, Ms. Greenway declared the interview over.

"I'll let you know of Social Services has decided to conduct a home study. They should have an answer in a few weeks."

"Alright, thank you again, Ms. Greenway." Derek flashed her his best smile and shook her hand. Spencer did the same and walked with Derek out to the car.

"Do you think they'll approve us?" He asked softly once they were in the car.

Derek reached over and took Spencer's hand, intertwining their fingers. "I know they will, Pretty Boy."


	3. Good News

It had been a week since their meeting with Ms. Greenway and both Spencer and Derek were getting rather impatient. Logically, they knew that it would take time for their applications to be reviewed, and probably even longer for a decision to be made because of their profession. It was Friday, and they weren't working a case at the moment. Derek knew that now was as good a time as any to talk to the rest of the team.

He got up from his desk and headed for the bullpen. He smiled when he saw Spencer sitting at his desk, flying through files faster than should be possible. He walked over and sat on the edge of Spencer's desk. "Hey, Pretty Boy."

Spencer looked up at him and smiled. "Hi."

"So, I think we should talk to the team." Derek said, lowering his voice to not be heard by others.

Spencer pursed his lips, but nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Derek nodded and started to go around, asking the other team members to meet them in the conference room. Spencer closed the file on his desk and headed up there to wait for the others. It didn't take long for everyone to be seated around the round table, looking curiously at each other. Derek followed Garcia, who was the last to enter, and moved to stand in front of everyone. Spencer was sitting down, looking around anxiously.

"So, Spencer and I have something we'd like to discuss with all of you." Derek stated.

They all looked from Derek to Spencer.

"We've started on the process for adoption." He continued.

"Are you serious?!" Garcia looked from Derek to Spencer. "I get to be an aunty?"

Spencer grinned and looked down at the table. Derek chuckled. "Yes, Baby Girl, you get to be an aunty."

The rest of the team, who had been silent, started to all talk at once.

"You guys, that's great!" Emily smiled.

"Spence!" JJ yelled.

"Congratulations." Came from Hotch, although Derek could see him fighting back a smile.

Rossi just sat there, an amused grin on his face as he watched the team flutter about. Derek finally decided it was time to take back the reigns of this conversation.

"Guys!" He shouted. Everyone quieted. "We met with the agency on Monday, and our application is being reviewed. We just wanted you all to know because, well, your family." An 'Aww' came from someone, he's pretty sure it was Garcia. "Also, we have no idea if they'll call you guys to ask about us, but if they do we wanted to give you a heads up."

They all nodded. "I get exlusive Aunty Privileges though, right?" Garcia asked.

They all laughed. "Of course, Baby Girl." Derek grinned.

* * *

They had just sat down to dinner when Derek's phone started going off. He glanced at Spencer and saw the same look he knew he was sporting. He crossed his fingers and hoped it wasn't a new case. He glanced at the caller ID and saw an unknown number. He slid his thumb across the screen to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Derek? It's Ms. Greenway." Said the voice on the phone.

"Oh, hello!" He greeted her. He looked over at Spencer and mouthed Ms. Greenway. Spencer mouthed back Speaker phone. Derek pulled the phone away from his ear and hit the button. "What can I do for you, Ms. Greenway?"

"Oh, nothing, dear. I just wanted to let you know that your application has gone through." She said happily.

Derek and Spencer smiled at each other. They were going to be parents!

"That's fantastic news!" Derek replied.

"Yes, it is!" Ms. Greenway agreed. "Would you boys be able to come down tomorrow and start looking through some of the files we have?"

"Files?" Derek asked, confused.

"Yes, we have you look through the files first so that we can pull the kids out of their foster homes or the orphanage. It's easier than just bringing all the kids in at once." She explained.

Derek nodded. "Oh, well, that makes sense."

"So are you available tomorrow?" She asked again.

"Yes, we are!" Derek assured her. "What time should we be there?"

* * *

Spencer woke up early on Saturday. He couldn't sleep and had gotten rather tired of tossing and turning. He slipped out of bed and headed downstairs to start a pot of coffee. He leaned against the counter, lost in thought, while he waited for it to finish. He had been thinking about what kind of child would be a good fit with him and Derek. If they adopted an older child who had already started to develop personality and likes, they'd need to at least be interested in a few of the same things. Right? Otherwise how would they have anything to talk about.

Spencer was pulled from his thoughts by Derek's voice, softly calling to him from across the kitchen. "Pretty Boy, I could hear you thinking all the way upstairs."

He ducked his head. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize, baby." Derek stepped closer to him and eyed him. "You're thinking about the kids." Spencer nodded and then voiced his earlier thoughts. Derek watched him speak with a furrowed brow. "Spencer, we'll find one who's right for us. And we might not even adopt an older kid, what if absolutely fall in love with one of the infants or toddlers?"

"True." Spencer murmured. "I guess I'm just overthinking everything again." He reached for a mug. "You know how I am."

Derek chuckled. "You do tend to do that."

Spencer glared and playfully shoved Derek before retreating to his makeshift library. He could probably finish a book or two before they needed to leave.

* * *

Derek and Spencer walked hand in hand into the same dull gray building they had visited earlier that week. The same woman sat the receptionist desk and smiled at them as they entered. "Hello! Glad to see you back!" She greeted.

"Glad to be back!" Derek smiled.

"I'll let Ms. Greenway know you're here." She took off her headset and placed it on the desk before getting up and walking down the hallway.

She returned a few minutes later, Ms. Greenway in tow. "Ah, gentlemen! You made it!" She beamed. "You can come on back." She waved to them.

They followed her back to her office and took their seats across from her. She grabbed a small stack of files from the corner of her desk and handed them to Derek. "These are a few of the kids we have right now. If you'd like to meet any of them, we can set it up. If not, we can start with some other files."

Both men nodded in unison. "Alright, thank you, Ms. Greenway." Spencer smiled.

"I'll leave you to it, then." Ms. Greenway stood and exited her office, giving them some privacy to talk.

Derek set the files down on the desk, then picked up the first one. "Alex Miller, Age eight." He read. He leaned closer to Spencer to show him the picture of the little boy. It looked to be a school photo. "He's in third grade and has listed his favorite hobbies as 'soccer and coloring'."

Spencer smiled. "I could get into coloring."

"Yeah?" Derek laughed. He put the file down. "Let's go through the rest."

They looked through the rest of the files and narrowed down the pile to three. Alex Miller and two little girls, April Johnson and Wendy Lopez. They had just finished going through Wendy's file when Ms. Greenway walked back in.

"Have we decided on anyone?" She asked cheerfully as she plopped herself down in her chair.

"We have." Derek smiled and handed her the three files.

She glanced at each and smiled. "Alright." She set them aside. "I'll call their foster parents and see when they can come in. I'll let you know and we can set it up."

The men thanked her and headed back to their car. "I'm excited." Spencer said as they walked across the parking lot.

"I am, too, baby." The darker man smiled at his partner.


	4. Kids Say the Darnedest Things

**Warnings: This chapter mentions child and spousal abuse. Also, a homophobic slur.**

* * *

Ms. Greenway set up their meetings with the kids for the following Saturday. The team had been called out on a case on Tuesday, making them all extremely nervous about whether or not they'd make it back in time for their meetings. But they did, they landed back in Quantico late Friday evening and were both unable to sleep even though they were exhausted. They laid in bed talking about the future until the early morning sun began to stream through their windows.

Derek made a pot of coffee while Spencer went to shower and get dressed. He knew his Pretty Boy would need all the caffeine he could get today. He put some bread in the toaster and leaned against the counter while he waited for it to toast up. His mind started to wander, thoughts of what the kids would be like filling his head. He wondered if any of them would like him and Spencer, and if they did, would they all click? He was pulled out of his thoughts by a mug being set down rather loudly on the counter.

"Sorry." Spencer apologized. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's alright, Pretty Boy." He smiled and grabbed his toast that had popped up. He buttered both pieces and then sat at the table with his coffee. "You ready for today?"

Spencer took a sip of his coffee. "As I'll ever be. I'm still not sure the kids will like me." He looked down at his hands.

"Baby, how many times do I have to tell you that they will love you?" Derek grinned.

Spencer glanced up at him through his lashes and grinned, too. "Until I believe it, I guess."

"C'mon, lets get ready to go." Derek stood up, grabbed his coffee with one hand and took Spencer's hand with the other.

* * *

Derek pulled into a parking space and cut the engine. Spencer was staring straight ahead and trembling. "Baby?" Derek reached over and gently touched his forearm.

"What if they don't like me? Or what if I say the wrong thing?" Spencer looked over at Derek, panic clear in his eyes.

"Baby boy, I've told you a millions times: they will love you." Derek reassured him before leaning over and kissing him. "No, come one, we don't want to be late."

He climbed out of the car and waited for Spencer to come around the front of the vehicle so he could take his hand. They walked into the building together and noticed a few other couples there as well. They checked in with the girl at the receptionist desk and then found two empty chairs. Spencer's knee was bouncing rapidly the second they sat down. Reaching over, Derek laid his hand on his knee to keep him from causing an earthquake with all the bouncing.

"It'll be fine." Derek whispered in his ear.

Ms. Greenway came down the hall to take a young couple back. Derek figured they were there for the same thing. A few minutes later, Ms. Greenway appeared again and called Derek and Spencer back.

"So, you gentlemen will be meeting with Alex first. April and Wendy will be here in about half an hour, so take your time with him." She smiled and gestured to the door they stopped in front of.

They stepped into the small room and noticed the boy from the picture sitting at the table, coloring in some pictures of dinosaurs. An older woman sat in the corner, her name badge read Julie Douglas.

"Hello." She smiled. "I'm Alex's social worker." She stood up and walked over to shake their hands. "I'll just be in the corner, observing, so just pretend I'm not even here." Julie smiled again and walked back over to her chair.

Alex had been watching the adults interact, but went back to his coloring as soon as Derek looked over at him. "Hey, man." Derek pulled out the chair on the other side of the table and sat down. Spencer followed suit and took the other chair. "My name's Derek."

"Spencer." He added when Alex looked at Spencer. "Do you like dinosaurs? Because I can tell you all about them."

Alex just stared at him before shrugging and going back to coloring. Derek and Spencer shared a glance. This was slightly worrisome. Spencer decided to try again. "What's your favorite type of dinosaur?"

"T-Rex." Alex mumbled.

Both men took that as a victory; they got Alex to talk!

"Did you know that there have been over thirty types of tyrannosaurus rex discovered?" Spencer felt a bit more comfortable now that he could spout off facts.

Alex's hand stilled and he slowly looked up at Spencer. "Thirty?" He asked, disbelieving.

With a nod, Spencer went on to tell him about the thirty different kinds of tyrannosaurus rex. Alex stared at him wide eyed, soaking up all the information the doctor was throwing at him. By the time Spencer was done, Ms. Greenway was there to tell them that April and Wendy were there.

They said goodbye to Alex, nodded at Julie and followed Ms. Greenway to another room. A small girl with blonde pigtails sat at the table. She had a baby doll in her lap and was brushing it's hair. Looking up from her task, she saw the men standing by the door.

"Hi!" She smiled brightly. "I'm April!"

"My name is Derek." He moved closer and sat across from her.

Spencer shuffled over and took the seat next to Derek. "I'm Spencer."

"It's nice to meet you." She lisped. "This is Molly." She held up her doll. "She's my best friend." April added quietly.

"Well, she seems like she'd be a very lovely friend." Derek smiled.

"Oh, she is." April nodded enthusiastically. "She stuck by me when Daddy was hitting Mommy and we had to hide behind the couch."

Derek looked over at Spencer, worry clear in his eyes. Maybe April wouldn't be a good fit for them, especially with their line of work. They spent some more time with her though, and when Ms. Greenway came to escort them to Wendy, April just waved goodbye and went back to brushing Molly's hair.

Their next room was just across the hall, and upon entering, they stopped in their tracks. Wendy didn't look like she did in her photo. Her hair was up in messy ponytail, she was wearing a black hoodie, but that wasn't what was so shocking. Her right eye was purple and swollen. The two men exchanged a glance before walking over and sitting down across from the girl.

"Hi, Wendy." Derek started. "I'm Derek and this is Spencer."

"Hi." Wendy stared at the table. "I know you're probably wondering why I have a black eye."

Neither man said anything.

"I got into a fight at school." She continued. "Some asshole called me a dyke. So I punched him and he hit back."

Spencer stared wide eyed at the small girl in front of them. Even at ten, Wendy was a bit smaller than other girls her age, but the fact that she stood up for herself made Spencer want to know more about her. "I'm sorry he called you that."

She looked up. "It's okay." She shrugged. "Happens all the time because of the way I dress."

"Just because it happens a lot doesn't make it okay." Derek said softly.

Wendy shrugged again. "I'm used to it."

They spent the rest of their time together talking about Wendy's hobbies. They learned that she liked to play softball and draw.

"I'm actually really good." She smiled. "I've had my art featured in the yearbook a few times."

"Wow. That's a great talent. I can't do much of anything." Derek chuckled. "But Spence here can do magic."

Wendy then demanded to be shown a trick. So, Spencer did a few, making her laugh. When their time was up, they said their goodbyes and headed for Ms. Greenway's office.

"So, how did it go?" She smiled.

"Great!" Derek said enthusiastically. "But, I think we need some time to think about it some more. I mean, it's a pretty big decision."

"Of course, of course!" Ms. Greenway assured them. "Take all the time you need, and if you want to meet with any other kids, please don't hesitate to ask!"

They thanked her and made their way back to the car, Spencer leaning against Derek. Derek wrapped his arm around Spencer's waist. "We'll find 'em, Pretty Boy. Don't worry."


	5. Talking Helps

**Short chapter. Mostly just a filler before they meet with more kids!**

* * *

The team had a few days off after their latest case, something that Derek took full advantage of. He slept in and lazily woke up with the sub streaming in through the curtains that covered the small windows in their bedroom. Rolling over, he discovered that Spencer's side of the bed was empty. This of course, wasn't that concerning. Spencer never could sleep very well, especially when something was weighing on his mind. Derek tossed the covers back and padded out of the room to look for his partner.

After checking downstairs, he made his way back upstairs to check the makeshift library that was supposed to be a third bedroom. He pushed open the half closed door to find Spencer sitting curled up in the giant armchair in the corner. A full cup of coffee was sitting next to him on the small end table. Derek was pretty certain it had gone cold.

"Baby, how many of those have you read this morning?" Derek asked softly.

"Eight." Spencer replied without looking up from his book, his finger still gliding down the page.

Without a word, Derek stepped into the room and shuffled over to Spencer .He took the book from the younger man's hands and set it on the end table. "Wha- Derek!" He glared up at the other man.

"Come on." Derek took Spencer's pale hand in his and pulled him up.

"Where are we going?"

"Downstairs. We're going to make some breakfast and then talk about this."

"Derek." Spencer tried to dig his heels into the carpet. "We did talk about this. Yesterday. I can refresh your memory if you want."

"I know what we said, Spencer. We said we'd find a kid who was right for us, and then we went out to dinner with Penelope. That's not much of a conversation." He gently pushed Spencer down into one of the dining chairs. "Now, I'm going to make us breakfast. We are going to have a real conversation about this because I know that it's really bothering you."

"No it's not." Spencer mumbled halfheartedly.

"Yes it is. I've never seen you read eight books in one morning, baby boy."

Spencer dropped his gaze to the floor, noticing that there was something spilled on the linoleum. "Okay, so maybe it's bothering me."

Derek leaned down and kissed Spencer's forehead. "It's okay, baby. We just started meeting with kids. It isn't going to happen overnight."

"I know." Spencer smiles sadly up at Derek. "Can we have breakfast now? I'm kind of hungry."

"Yeah, pretty boy." He chuckles. "We can have breakfast now."

They work together to make spinach, feta and mushroom omelets. Derek showed Spencer how to properly use a knife to chop up the mushrooms, and Spencer managed to do a pretty good job. They ate their breakfast and then went to curl up on the couch. They laid down on their sides with Spencer spooned into Derek's front. They flipped through the channels until they found a marathon of Ancient Aliens. The only sounds in the room were the voices from the TV unless Spencer had a fact to discredit the scientists.

When the marathon was over, Derek flipped off the TV and kissed the back of Spencer's neck. "You okay, baby?"

"Yeah." Spencer murmured. "I'm still convinced we won't find a child because of my weirdness, but." He leaves the sentence hanging and shrugs one shoulder.

"Spencer, you are not weird. You are amazing." Derek said firmly. "And we will find a kid, one that we connect with and that loves us just as much as we love them."

Spencer turned over so that he could face Derek. He snuggled himself down into Derek's warm, broad chest. "I love you."

Derek grinned fondly down at Spencer snuggling him. "I love you, too, Pretty Boy."


	6. Let's Try This Again

It was a Monday when Derek and Spencer went back to the adoption agency's office. They met with Ms. Greenway again to look at more kids. After handing them a stack of files, she left the room to let the men look through them together. Spencer reached for a file first, flipping it open and scanning the contents.

"Caleb Anderson." Spencer said. "Age nine, loves to read and color. Says he is 'far ahead of all other classmates'."

"He seems almost perfect for us." Derek chuckled.

"He does. Should we add him to the yes pile?" He looked over at Derek.

"Yes." Derek grinned as he picked up another file. "Lily Harlow. Age six, loves horses."

"Hmm," The younger man hummed. "Wouldn't horses be kind of an expensive hobby?"

"Yeah." Derek nodded and added the folder to the no pile.

They went through the rest of the files, their yes and no piles steadily growing bigger. When they were finally done, they sat there going through the yes pile more thoroughly until Ms. Greenway came back. Spencer had a really good feeling about Caleb and a girl named Rosie. He didn't want to voice this to Derek, though, just in case it swayed his decision either way. Plus, there was no way of telling how they would actually get along until they met them.

Ms. Greenway came back and put all of the no's off to the side to be re-filed. She started to flip through the the yes folders and nodded at each one. "Alright, it shouldn't be too difficult to get them here this weekend. I'll be sure to call you with a time." She smiled.

"Okay, thank you." Derek stood and shook her hand. Spencer smiled.

They walked out of the office and headed for the parking lot. "What'd you say we go to dinner, pretty boy?" Derek wrapped his arm around Spencer's waist and pulled him into his side.

"I'd like that." Spencer grinned. "It's been awhile since just the two of us went out."

"It has, huh?" Derek pulled the car keys from his pocket and hit the unlock button. They separated so that they could climb into the SUV. "What about that italian place you like so much?" He asked as he started the car.

"Yes, please!" Spencer said enthusiastically. "We haven't been there since our anniversary."

"Really? That long?" Derek looked over at Spencer in surprise. Spencer nodded. "Huh. Well, then we'll go there." Derek stated.

They drove across town to the restaurant. It was a small family owned italian place that Spencer had been going to since he first moved to Virginia. After he met Derek, he introduced him to his favorite place. When they walked in, Alfonso, the owner, came rushing over. "Spencer!" He cried, a large smile spread across his plump face. "It has been so long!" His voice still held a thick Italian accent even though he had been living in the states for over thirty years. "And Derek, it's good to see you, too!"

Spencer smiled. "Alfonso." He tipped his head. "It's good to see you, too. How are the grandkids?"

"Oh, they are growing so fast! I'll be sure to bring pictures by your table!" He laughed. "Come, come. Your usual table is open." He escorted them to a small table in the back corner, the one Spencer always prefered that became theirs when they got together. They both sat down and Alfonso puttered off, mumbling about getting them their usuals.

"So, you gonna tell me what's on your mind?" Derek asked after he was sure Alfonso was out of earshot.

"What?" Spencer tried to feign innocence.

"Pretty boy, I know something's on your mind." He leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "Talk to me."

"It's nothing bad." Spencer mumbled. "I, just...I think Caleb is the one for us."

"Already?" Derek's brow furrowed.

"Yes." Spencer looked down at his fidgeting hands. "Everything in his file just...I don't know."

"Well, when we meet with him, we'll be able to tell."

Spencer nodded. "I know." He looked up and smiled at Derek.


	7. We've Found What We Were Looking For

On Saturday, Spencer woke up to an empty bed and the smell of bacon being cooked. He threw back the covers and padded down the hall to the stairs. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as he descended the stairs, and smiled when he came upon Derek in the kitchen, softly singing along to some hit from the 50's that was floating from the radio while he cooked breakfast.

"Morning, baby." Derek grinned as he flipped the pancakes on the griddle.

"Morning." Spencer mumbled as he shuffled over to get a cup of coffee.

"I have a good feeling about today." The older man set two plates on the table and sat down in his usual seat.

Spencer joined him, setting his coffee down as he slid into his seat. "I do, too." He said softly. "I still think Caleb is the one for us."

Derek stopped cutting up his pancakes and reached across the table to take Spencer's hands in his. "I know, baby boy. I think so, too."

* * *

They arrived at the adoption center early and sat in the lobby waiting rather impatiently for Ms. Greenway to lead them to the room where they'd meet the first child of the day. Spencer kept bouncing his knee, even after Derek placed his hand on it. Finally, after what felt like hours, Ms. Greenway called them back and lead them to one of the interview rooms.

When they entered the room, a girl Derek recognized as Rosie sat at the table, her hands folded and placed on the table. "Hi." She said cheerfully.

"Hello." Spencer smiled.

They took their seats across from Rosie as she started asking them all sorts of questions. Most pertained to their relationship and what they were looking for in a child. Both Derek and Spencer raised their eyebrows in surprise at her maturity. They did their best to answer her questions, and before they could ask their own, Ms. Greenway knocked on the door to let them know the next child was ready.

Derek and Spencer said goodbye to Rosie and followed the woman along to the next room. A small boy sat on a booster seat in the chair. He looked about three or four. They talked with him about his Thomas the Train cars that he was driving across the table as Spencer told him facts about trains.

When they were done talking with him, they were led to another room where Caleb was sitting with his head bowed and his shoulders slumped in what they recognized as defeat. Derek hated seeing someone so young look so defeated. "Hi, Caleb." He said as they walked in.

The boy looked up and gave a halfhearted smile. "Hi."

Derek and Spencer took their seats across from Caleb and introduced themselves. "So, your file said that you like to read, what's your favorite book?" Derek asked.

Caleb's face lit up as he started in on his favorite books. "Well, I really like the Eragon series. And Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is really good, too." He grinned. "But I think my favorite is Harry Potter."

"Harry Potter was really good." Spencer agreed.

"Do you like to read?" Caleb asked Spencer, bouncing in his seat.

"I do." Spencer nodded. "I can read 20,000 words a minute."

"Whoa." Caleb breathed. "That's a lot."

"Yeah, it is." Derek laughed. "I can never keep up with him."

Caleb cracked a smile, and Derek counted that as progress. "I read faster than other kids in my class. They stutter of words when we have to read aloud, so I just read ahead."

Derek nodded in sympathy. He knew it couldn't be easy being the smartest kid in class, he'd heard stories from Spencer. Even had a few of his own. "So, what else do you like to do besides read?"

"I like to color with my sister. Well, when I can see her." He looked down at his hands, a sad look on his face.

Derek and Spencer shared surprised looks. "You have a sister?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah," Caleb nodded. "She's four. She lives in a different foster house, though, so I only get to see her a couple times a month."

"I have two sisters." Derek told him. "I don't get to see them very often, either because we live so far apart."

Caleb asked them about their families and told them about his. About his mom and how Child Protective Services had to take him and his sister away after her third trip to rehab. Half way through their conversation, Ms. Greenway came back to tell them it's time to meet the fourth child.

Derek and Spencer stopped her in the hallway. "Actually, Ms. Greenway," Derek started. "We've made a decision." He glanced at Spencer who was smiling and nodding.

"Oh?" She looked surprised.

"Yes, we want to adopt Caleb." Spencer said.

"Oh, that's wonderful! He'll be happy with you, I'm sure!" The woman smiled. "Let's go to my office and get started on the paper work!"

"There's one more thing." Derek stopper her. "We also want to adopt his sister."

"His sister?" She looked between the two men. "Are you sure you want to take on two children at once?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well, alright. I'll go pull up all the necessary papers. Why don't you go tell Caleb the good news." With that, she turned and headed for her office.

Derek turned to Spencer. "We're doing this."

"We are." Spencer grinned. He took Derek's hand in his. "Come on, let's go tell Caleb."

They walked back into the room and Caleb looked up from the book he was reading. He gave them a confused look and set his book down.

"How would you like to become part of our family?" Derek asked.

Caleb's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Spencer nodded. "Yep."

"Oh my god!" Caleb pushed away from the table, the chair scraping noisily against the floor. He launched himself at the men, wrapping his small arms around both of them. "Thank you." He choked.

"No need to thank us, kid." Derek said.

"Will I get to see my sister?" He asked as he pulled back from the hug.

"Every day." Spencer said.

"What?" Caleb looked between the two, confusion written all over his face again.

"We're going to adopt her, too." Derek said. He suddenly had an armful of crying Caleb. He wrapped his arms around the boy's small frame and squeezed him tight.


	8. We're Prepared

"Oh, what about these!" Garcia squealed as she rushed over to the soon to be fathers. "They're so cute!"

Derek looked down at the pack of curtains in the tech's hands. "They're pink."

"Yeah, every girl loves pink, right?" She looked between the two men.

"Her favorite colors are yellow and purple." Spencer said. "So, that's what her room is going to be."

Penelope pouted, but put the curtains back. "Why am I even here if you won't accept why style expertise?"

"Because, we wanted your help with picking out the furniture for Cali's room. We wanted your female input, baby girl." Derek said.

"Well, I thank you for the invitation." Penelope smiled. "Now, this little girl needs an awesome bed."

Spencer and Derek followed her, pushing the flatbed cart along that already had the things for Caleb's room.

* * *

Derek was seated on the floor of what was soon going to be Cali's room, pieces of the dismembered bed laying around him. Spencer was sitting on the already put together dresser, reading the instructions out loud to Derek. "Piece A and piece B will be connected by piece C."

Laying them out, Derek looked up at Spencer. "Like this?"

Spencer looked down. "Yeah. Use the screws in bag one."

They worked in compatible silence, only interrupting it with instructions and questions. By dinner time, they had Cali's room all set up. "Now we just gotta wait for her to decide what color's the walls will be." Derek said. He moved to stand between Spencer's legs. "What should we have for dinner?"

Spencer hummed in thought. "Something quick and easy, I'm hungry."

"Pizza?"

"Sounds good." Spencer hopped down from his perch on the dresser and followed Derek down the stairs to make sure he ordered the good pizza.

When the pizza arrived, Spencer carried the box to the living room as Derek went to grab a beer for himself and a soda for Spencer. He joined his husband on the couch, passed him his soda and reached for a piece of pizza.

"They're coming home on Saturday." Derek said after he finished his first slice.

"Do you think Cali will like us? I mean, we know Caleb does, but we've only met Cali once and she hid behind her brother almost the whole time." Spencer chewed on his bottom lip worriedly.

"She was probably just nervous." Derek soothed. "I'm sure once she sees her room and knows that her brother will be here with her every day, she'll open up."

They were interrupted by the doorbell. "Who the hell?" Derek grumbled as he pushed himself up off the couch. He looked through the peephole and had to stifle a laugh. Pulling the door open he smiled, "Hi, baby girl."

"Hello my chocolate Adonis." She greeted cheerfully as she pushed her way into the house. "Hello my baby genius!" She called out to Spencer.

The lithe man came into the foyer, carrying his second slice of pizza. "Hey, Garcia."

"Baby girl, what's with all the bags?" Derek asked, pointing to the numerous shopping bags she was carrying.

"I, um, I got carried away." She admitted.

"I'll say." Derek chuckled.

"I went out shopping to buy the kiddies something as a welcome present from their Auntie Penny, and, well...I got carried away."

Spencer and Derek laughed and each took some of the bags. "Well, let's put the things in their rooms." Spencer said.


	9. Welcome Home

Saturday seemed to not want to come. The days dragged on, filled with paperwork and consultations. They both were thankful that they had no cases that needed their immediate attention, it meant that they could be home and actually bring the kids home on Saturday.

Derek was a little worried about Cali's shyness, but he knew that it was going to be hard for them to really open up to new people so suddenly. Caleb seemed to like them, which Derek knew would help Cali to like them and grow to trust them. The older man also knew that his young lover was more worried than he was letting on. Kids and animals had never really been Spencer's thing. Dogs seemed to hate him and kids thought he was weird. But, Derek knew first hand that once they warmed up to each other, things would be great. It happened with Clooney, Caleb, and it would happen with Cali.

* * *

On Friday night, neither Spencer or Derek could sleep. Spencer tossed and turned until Derek had enough and pulled him to his chest. "Baby, just breathe."

"I can't, Derek. This is too nerve wracking." The younger man mumbled into his lover's chest.

"I know, baby." Derek wished more than anything that he could show Spencer that it was all going to be okay. "I'm sure they're just as nervous, but when they get here everything will fall into place."

* * *

By the time Derek and Spencer managed to fall asleep, the sun was coming up. After a few short hours of restless sleep, their alarm went off. Derek, still groggy from sleep, reached out to hit the alarm clock on the bedside table. After making sure that Spencer wouldn't fall back asleep, he got out of bed and headed for the shower. When he finally made his way to the kitchen, Spencer was already there, making coffee.

"Thanks, baby." Derek took the offered mug and leaned against the counter. "Today's the day." Spencer nodded. "Are you ready?"

"I think I am." The younger man took a sip of his coffee. "I mean, I'm more than ready to be a parent with you, but now I think I'm ready to actually bring them home. I guess getting some sleep put my mind at ease."

"I told you there was nothing to worry about, Pretty Boy." Derek smirked.

* * *

They pulled up to the adoption agency ten minutes before their scheduled time. Morgan cut the engine and glanced over to Spencer. He seemed calm on the surface, but Derek knew that underneath, he was more than likely freaking out. "You ready, baby?" He asked.

Spencer nodded quickly. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Together, they walked into the building where they knew their children were waiting for them. Ms. Greenway greeted them and brought them back to her office where Caleb's social worker was sitting with the boy and his sister, Cali. The small boy smiled up at the two men and gave a shy wave.  
"Hi, Caleb." Spencer smiled.

"Hi." Caleb parroted.

Ms. Greenway called their attention to the last of the paperwork that needed to be dealt with. After signing the last of the papers and thanking Ms. Greenway, Derek and Spencer were finally the proud parents of Cali and Caleb.

Derek picked up Cali who buried her head in his shoulder. He took that as a good sign. Caleb took Spencer's offered hand and together they walked out to the car as a family.

* * *

The drive home was mostly silent. Caleb asked a few questions about the house, but other than that, he was silently watching the city pass outside the window. After pulling into the driveway, Spencer and Derek helped the kids out of the car and led them into their new home.

The couple watched as the two new additions to the family stared wide eyed at their new surroundings. They gave them a quick tour of the downstairs before ushering them upstairs to show them their rooms. First, they showed Cali her room, as it was the first door down the hall. Her eyes lit up as she took in the new furniture.

"This is mine?" She asked, her voice soft and unsure.

"Yeah, baby girl, it's all yours." Derek smiled.

He suddenly had an armful of little girl as she launched herself into his arms. Derek hugged her tight and kept her close to his chest as they moved down the hall to show Caleb to his room.

"Go on." Spencer urged.

Caleb pushed open the closed door and stood there frozen. "Thank you." He whispered.

"No need to thank us, Caleb," Spencer assured him. "Welcome home."


	10. Epilogue

"Caleb, can you go help your dad with those streamers?" Derek asked as he started to get out the hot dogs and hamburgers to take out to the grill. "I'm afraid he's gonna end up hurtin' himself."

"Yes, sir!" He gave a mock salute as he rushed over to help Spencer.

Derek chuckled and continued to get the food prepped. Just as he finished stacking all the patties onto a plate, the doorbell rang followed by a "Hello, hello!" called out by a familiar voice.

"Auntie Penny!" Caleb yelled.

Soon after, the small patter of Cali's bare feet could be heard coming down the hall. "Aunie Penny! Aunie Penny!"

"Hi, my lovelies!" She chirped. "And Happy Birthday, Princess!" Penelope dropped a crown onto Cali's head.

"Thank you." The little girl said, digging her toes into the floor bashfully, as she smiled.

Derek walked over and gather Penelope into a hug. "Hey, baby girl."

"Hello my chocolate adonis!" She set her purse down and started her way into the living room. "And where is my junior G man?"

"In here!" Came Spencer's voice from the hallway. "Just finishing up these decorations!"

Cali started bouncing around, nearly losing the crown from the top of her head. "Daddy S is putting up pretties for my party!"

"Is he, now?" Penelope grinned and followed along as Cali pulled her by the hand to see the decorations.

Derek wrapped his arm around Caleb's neck and dragged him towards the kitchen. "C'mon, you can help with food."

Half an hour later, the rest of the BAU team was gathered in the Morgan-Reid home, along with parents and kids from Cali's preschool class. The kids were running around and playing in the backyard as Spencer tried his best to be social with the parents. It was usually Derek who took the kids to school, and also picked them up, so the younger man felt just a little bit out of his element. It helped that his team mates were there, though. It put him a bit more at ease.

Derek manned the grill while Hotch and Rossi tried to give him tips on grilling the best hot dogs. Spencer grinned and went inside to get another drink. As he turned the corner into the kitchen, he found JJ rummaging around in the fridge. "Oh, hi."

"Hey, Spence." She turned her head to smile at him. "Just getting some more juice for the kids." JJ pulled out the jugs of fruit punch.

"Oh, well, I'll help you." He took one of the jugs and followed her out to the deck where the cooler was sitting. They filled it up and started passing out cups of juice to the kids.

"Cali and Caleb seem to have adjusted rather well."

"Yeah, they have." Spencer smiled as he watched his daughter run around with her friends.

* * *

The kids were all gathered around the large picnic table, singing happy birthday to Cali. She sat at the head of the table, beaming and bouncing in excitement.

"...happy birthday to you!" The crowd finished.

"Alright, baby girl," Derek said. "Go ahead and make a wish, then blow out our candles.

Cali squeezed her eyes shut tight as she made her wish, then leaned forward to blow out her candles. They were all blown out on the first try thanks to a bit of help from Derek over her shoulder. The adults all clapped and cheered as Penelope removed the candles and started to cut the cake.

"Happy birthday, baby girl." Derek said, as he leaned down to kiss the top of Cali's head.


End file.
